I saw this video while I was in college and basically learned how to iron my shirts from it. Nothing gives you a confidence boost when walking in to an interview or an important meeting like knowing you look crisp and clean as fuck.

I do absolutely everything myself - from the simple stuff like changing strings, to more complex work like switching out pickups and installing new electronics.

My reasoning: this provides the opportunity for more education and ensures that I know every aspect of my instrument. If something goes wrong, I know exactly how to troubleshoot the problem to figure out what it is, and I know exactly how to fix it. This is essential for those worst case scenarios. If I'm at a gig and my electronics suddenly go out, I can open up my control cavity, identify the problem, do the soldering work, and be ready to play in 15 minutes - saving the gig and myself from embarrassment.

The major caveat is I look up how others (a.k.a. the "professionals") do whatever work I'm doing when I'm doing something for the first time.